Style Me Pretty Submissions: 7 Things You Need to Know

Style Me Pretty is one of the most popular wedding blogs among industry professionals and with good reason — it has a history of amazing content and consistently ranks as one of the most visited websites in the wedding industry.

With those credentials, it should come as no surprise that SMP is one of the most competitive wedding blogs out there with hundreds of submissions coming in each week.

For context, Style Me Pretty has recently changed ownership and is back in the hands of the original founders. In that transition, they have shifted their focus to publishing fewer (but more impactful) weddings each week. Less is more on SMP, so you need to be prepared to share your very best content.

If SMP is on your press wish list, you need to know the factors that will set your Style Me Pretty submissions apart from others in the mix.

Here are seven considerations to keep in mind as you craft your SMP submission

1. Review Style Me Pretty’s recent weddings

Before you map out your real wedding submission, make sure you set aside some time to review the Style Me Pretty website to get a better feel for the weddings that they’ve been accepting recently.

The wedding you have in mind might be just as gorgeous and detailed as those featured on their site, but if the aesthetics are not in line, you might want to consider another top wedding blog that is a better fit.

2. Curate your images carefully

When you’re submitting to Style Me Pretty, you want to select 100-150 images at the very least. Prioritize detail-heavy photos and don’t be afraid to include different angles of the same details — the more, the better.

You’ll want to showcase the entire day, but keep the people shots to a minimum. SMP also prefers crisp, full-color images, so avoid any creative editing or filtering and limit the number of black and white photos in your real wedding submission.

3. Tell the story of the wedding day

Beautiful photos need a great story to back them up, so put on your writer’s hat and get descriptive. Explain the inspiration behind the wedding and outline the details, theme, and colors used throughout the day. Be sure to revisit any unique or creative features that set this wedding apart.

If possible, pull in the couple to add some personal details like how they met, how they got engaged, or their favorite wedding day memories. Bonus tip: Include some of these questions in a preliminary questionnaire to grab this information early on in the process. Then, you don’t have to wait until they return from the honeymoon to finalize the writeup.

4. Get express consent from the couple

You should never submit a real wedding without permission from the couple and their photographer. Some people are not comfortable with their photos being shared on the Internet, so a couple’s privacy should come first. However, even if a couple consents, you should prepare them for potential involvement. 

No matter how detailed your writeup is, some editors want to connect with a couple directly, so you will need to share their contact information as well. Confirm with the couple that you have permission to share their email address and let them know they may have to answer some questions from the editor down the line.

5. Include all of the wedding day team

Producing a wedding isn’t a one-person job, so be sure to recognize all of the creative professionals that came together to make the day happen. If possible, include contact names and emails for each of the vendors to make it easier on the editor. 

Before submitting, check with the team to see if anyone is an advertiser on the site — if someone is, see if you can submit through their account as they will likely receive preference in publication. This goes for many publications, not just SMP.

6. Ensure exclusivity

Style Me Pretty wants fresh and unique content, so make sure you’re submitting a wedding that has not yet been published elsewhere. Some places are fine with a minimal blog post, but for the most part, it’s best to hold off on publishing a wedding during the consideration process of a real wedding submission.

7. Maintain realistic expectations

Editors are busy, so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back in the first week or so. In fact, prepare to wait up to six weeks before getting a response back from Style Me Pretty.

In that time, avoid submitting the wedding elsewhere — that is a quick way to ruin editorial relationships. If you hit the six-week mark and have not heard back, feel free to float over a follow-up email to see if you can provide them with any further information.

Earning a feature on SMP is an effective way to increase brand awareness among engaged couples, with the added bonus of an SEO backlink from one of the top ranked industry websites in the nation. With these seven tips in your back pocket, you’ll be well on your way Style Me Pretty’s front page.

Want to learn more about how to get weddings published?  Read How to Get Your Wedding Published and How to Use Two Bright Lights.

If you’d like help with a real wedding submission, check out the OFD Collective Membership.

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